Steps to Take when Restoring a Vintage Airstream Part 2
The Tedious Tasks
I am not going to take up a lot of time addressing the importance of fixing and or repairing these aspects of your Airstream, before you move on to the more glamorous aspects. I know that you can comprehend why you should tackle these jobs first, so let's get to what you still need to do to restore you vintage Airstream.
Before you can start on anything to do with the inside, you need to make sure that it is weatherproof. This area is going to have you taking a close look at the doors, windows and vents. Is the door airtight when it is shut? If not fix it or replace it if need be. What about the windows, are they in good working order? Do they open and shut appropriately with out any leaks when shut? If not fix or replace them as needed. Check out the Air Conditioner and vents also, to make sure this is all weatherproof.
If the Air conditioner and vents are not working you can replace them by checking out Atwood Mobile Products. They have great selection of products for your vintage Airstream.
Electrical wiring should now be addressed. If you are not an electrician I urge you to outsource this job to a professional licensed electrician. Electrical fires have claimed many lives, so for safety sake please let a professional do this job. Contract a licensed electrician to come out and rewire your vintage Airstream with up to code wiring.
So you now have your vintage Airstream weatherproofed and all electrical wiring and outlets up-to-date. Now we can move on to the inside of your vintage Airstream. Now you can start to have a little more fun with your Airstream.
The plumbing can now be tackled. Remove the toilet and sinks, for the time being. Take the time to go over all the plumbing to make sure there are not leaks or rust in the pipes. Fix all leaky areas or replace all leaking pipes. If there is rust in the pipes use a solution to get rid of the rust or replace the pipes completely. I would recommend replacing all pipes that are metal with plastic pipes. These are not seen so they will not decrease the value of your vintage Airstream. Make sure all pipes are installed to prevent any leaking. At this time you need to replace your old hot water heater also. Atwood Mobile Products has hot water heaters for your Airstream. If you need to go ahead and outsource some or all of this work also.
If you are needing fittings for your portable water tanks, then take a look at Inca Plastic Molding Company. They still make the tanks that were first introduced in the 1960s. This will allow for you to purchase an exact fit or complete new tank.
Time now for you to fix the floors. Take a good look at your Airstream and see what condition the floors are in. All weak spots should be replaced. With Airstreams having been made using real wood, keep with this and use real wood to replace any weak spots in the flooring. The use of real wood is what has made for the vintage Airstreams increasing in value instead of decreasing.
Remove all cabinets and fixtures if you need to. These can be put back or replaced later; your main concern right now is getting all of the flooring to be sturdy and sound. Once you have replaced every weak area of the flooring, go ahead and get the flooring sanded up. Do not do anything else but sand it at this point.
As an additional note, you do not have to replace every area of the flooring that is chipped away. What you can do in those areas is cut out the chipped up area and then pour in 2-part liquid epoxy. Pour this into the damage until it is level with the good floor. This can save you a little bit by not having to replace every area that has some minimal damage.
The extent of the work that is going to be needed is dependant on what condition your vintage Airstream is in. Not everything that you are looking at is going to need any repairs or replacement. Don't neglect to check it over though.
Contact Information:
Inca Plastic Molding Company
http://www.incaplastics.com
909-923-3235
Atwood Mobile Products
http://www.atwoodmobile.com
574-264-2131
Published by Antoinette McGowan
I am a stay at home mother. I love writing. Many topics interest me when it comes to writing. View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentThis is an incredibly naive and ill-researched article. The author clearly knows nothing about Airstream restoration and is basically just listing parts and saying "Fix it". Most of the common and serious issues that occur on vintage trailers aren't even mentioned, and tasks are listed out of logical order. If you want to restore an Airstream, please don't take this article seriously.
"These are not seen so they will not decrease the value of your vintage Airstream. Make sure all pipes are installed to prevent any leaking."
Wow! Just because you can't see it means it is quality? Yeah have all your pipes "installed" you don't want all those random loose PVC pipes bagging around in there, right?
Give me a break. This is a joke. I am in the process of renovating my own 1950 Silver Streak Clipper (prior to airstream) These campers need to be refurbished right the first time. Put in quality pluming! For goodness sake, let's just say you are in Wyoming in 22 below weather and your plastic pipes shatter. Yeah, what then?
Yes, there are important steps in refurbishing a camper, they need to be taking one at a time in order, but this article is extremely short sided. You don't handle problems with leaking by buying new windows and doors! You fix the dang seals!
Fixing up an airstream is already very expensive but not to the point of throwing money around like